Oatmeal Bars Topped with Coconut Custard

 

In Jamaica, a good sweet potato pudding (which very few people know how to make well), comes with a soft coconut custard topping that forms during the baking process. The process is described as "Hell a top, Hell a Bottom, and Heaven in between". It refers to the method of baking where the dutch pot with the pudding is placed on a slow charcoal fire, and a zinc sheet with live coals is place on top of the "Dutchie". It is the top layer of heat that acts like a broiler to form the custard. The resulting pudding is just as described..."Heaven"! The pudding however is very rich and sweet, but since I like the custard (which in itself is not too healthy), I wanted to find a way to have the best of both worlds. The oatmeal bar, with the custard on top is not a bad replacement! Just don't eat too much as Coconut milk/cream is full of saturated fat!

2 eggs

½ cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ teaspoon salt (if no sodium restriction)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups milk

¼ cup applesauce

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

3 cups quick oats

¼ cup arrowroot flour

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons oil

Topping

½ cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

 

Line the bottom of an 8x8 inch glass casserole with parchment paper. Liberally grease the sides of the baking dish.

Place sugar, milk and butter in a small saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool

Mix oats with 2 tablespoons oil and spread on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake in a convection oven for 30 minutes at 325 degrees F or until a nice golden color.

Mix oats, baking powder, flours, spices in a large bowl and set aside.

Whisk eggs, vanilla, and applesauce together, then add cooled milk mixture to that.

Mix wet and dry ingredients together and pour into prepared baking dish

Refrigerate overnight, covered. Before baking, prepare topping and pour over the surface of the oatmeal.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 45-50  minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Switch the oven to "Broil" and broil for about 3-5 minutes. Cut into bar size of your choosing.

Not too healthy but pretty darn delicious cookies!

 

Why is it that the things that taste delicious are also the worst for us? Each one of these cookies is filled with fat.....and that's what makes them so good. They are even better if dipped in melted chocolate (dark), butterscotch or caramel. The process is a little complicated as I use both a stand mixer as well as a food processor, but the results are better that way. The yield is between 18-20 3 1/2 inch by 1/4 inch thick. Like medicine, I prescribe myself just 1 daily! These are crisp, crunchy cookies, not soft and chewy!

 

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup puffed millet

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup Durum Atta flour

½ cup oat bran

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons Golden syrup

1 teaspoon salt  (if no salt restriction)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup unsalted butter , cubed

1 cup vegetable shortening

½ cup boiling water

Thick cut oats for rolling (if desired)

 

 

Instructions

1.    Preheat oven to 400 F or 375 degrees F if using convection oven.

2.    Combine all dry ingredients in a large stand mixer bowl except 1 cup flour, sugars, vinegar, vanilla, golden syrup, butter and shortening. Place those ingredients in a food processor and blend until whipped and smooth looking.

3.    Set up the stand mixer with a dough hook. Combine the mixture from the food processor bowl with that in the stand mixer and use the dough hook to combine the two. Add the boiling water at this stage and the mixture will come together as a dough. Turn off the mixer and remove the bowl. Form the dough into a ball with your hands then let it sit for about 10-15 minutes so that the oats can absorb any excess liquid. You should not have to add more oats or flour to bring the dough to the correct consistency where it can be handled.

4.    Prepare two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Use an egg ring and shape ¼ cup of cookie dough, pressing it into the ring sitting on the parchment paper until ½ full (the rings are usually 3 ½ inches round and ½ inch high, so half full gives you a ¼ inch thickness.)

5.    If desired, generously cover the top with extra rolled oats; roll or pat them firmly into the surface of the dough

6.    Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes, turn over cookies using an egg lifter. Return to oven and bake for another 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Discontinue convection mode and reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F in standard mode. Return cookies to oven and leave cookies to dry out for another hour in oven. Turn off oven and leave cookies in oven until it has cooled.

7.    Place cookies on a cooling rack (do not leave on the parchment paper). Store in an airtight container. Makes 18-20 3.5 x 0.25-inch cookies

A Simple Date Loaf

 

This is a very simple date quick bread that is ideal to have with tea or coffee, or as breakfast with a topping of your choice. I like it with caramel baked apples. It is not very sweet. 

1/2 cup boiling water

¼ cup half and half

1/2  teaspoon baking soda

Juice of 1 lemon

1 1⁄2  cups chopped dates

1 1⁄3  cups all-purpose flour

1   teaspoon baking powder

1  teaspoon salt (if no sodium restriction)

1  large egg

1⁄4  cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (I like to use coconut sugar, Jaggery or Piloncillo)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon orange flavoring

1⁄4  cup unsalted butter

5 whole allspice berries

5 pieces of cloves

5 green cardamom pods

 

DIRECTIONS

 

    Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom of a standard loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour sides.

    In a small bowl mix the dates, butter, baking soda, vanilla and orange flavoring. Bring the water, cardamom pods, cloves, allspice, and brown sugar to a boil, let the spices steep in the water for 5-10 minutes then remove them. Pour the hot water over the mixture of dates, butter etc. You will see it bubble up. Add the lemon juice and set aside to cool.

    In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

    In a different bowl, beat the egg and half and half with an electric mixer until pale in color.

    Separate the date mixture into two halves. Take half of the date mixture and blend to a paste using a blender or food processor. Mix the paste with the original half of unblended dates.

    Mix the wet and dry ingredients together, stirring until just combined.

    Pour this mixture into the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for approximately 55 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

    Let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan, then cool completely on a rack.

Slice into 12 pieces when cool and serve with caramel baked apple topping.